Several times a day you make a decision about whether to eat, and if so, what to eat. When, how much, and what kind of food you eat has a tremendous impact on how you feel, what you look like, how well you function, and what health you will enjoy (or suffer) throughout your life.

BIOLOGY 105 is a natural science course for undergraduates who want to learn about human nutritional needs. It will give students a biologically sound foundation on which to make judgments about personal and public health related to food consumption and production. BIOLOGY 105 does not require any prerequisite other than a strong desire to learn about this subject for practical and personal empowerment. BIOLOGY 105 will discuss human physiology as it relates to human nutrition; the content and availability of nutrition in food sources; the effect on human health of dietary choices; how food has been and is now grown, processed, and marketed, and the impact of these practices on human health; food safety issues related to food poisoning organisms and food additives; and special nutritional needs of pregnancy and feeding babies.

Plenary lectures and small GSI-lead discussions.

Textbook and CD:Nutrition: Science and Applications, L.A. Smolin and M.B. Grosvenor, John Wiley and Sons, 2007, casebound with the CD "iProfile." ISBN 978-470-22394-9. The book and CD will be available in on-line versions. Information about this will be posted as soon as it is available.

Syllabi are available to current LSA students. IMPORTANT: These syllabi are provided to give students a general idea about the courses, as offered by LSA departments and programs in prior academic terms. The syllabi do not necessarily reflect the assignments, sequence of course materials, and/or course expectations that the faculty and departments/programs have for these same courses in the current and/or future terms.